I Want To Really Live

After reading My last book and also digging into one of the new ones I am working on, I am convinced of our need to be changed to reflect the character of God. I wouldn't say this is a new revelation for me but one God is having me focus on more intently. I love this quote from the McManus book I am reading. "God formed us in his image and then breathed life into us. God's life in us is sustained by character. When we lose the character of God, we lose the life of God in us. But to have his character, we must first die to ourselves, because to become like Him is what it means to really live."

I read this today and I was prompted to pass this info along to you. Let God examine your character. If we are not becoming more like Christ, He is not "living" in us.

God's Beauty Through A Child

Today at church, I was talking to one of our electric players and he reminded me of this young girl named Akaine (thanks Al). I remembered reading about her a long time ago. Al sent me the link to her website. This 12 year old girl had a life changing spiritual transformation when she was 4. This transformation lead her Atheistic parents to the Lord. At the age of 4 she began painting and writing poetry and is considered to be one of the 20 greatest artist/poets alive today. She is surrendered to the fact that God gave her a gift and this gift is to be used to display God and His love to others. She is 12!!! I love this. I am going to try and get a hold of one of the books she has co written about her life. Yes, one of the books she has co-written. This story and this girl are amazing! This picture is one of her famous paintings. It is called "Prince Of Peace". She painted it when she was 8!

I Am Excited!

I am really looking forward to the trip next week to the Arts Conference. I will definitely let all of you know about the journey. I read this post today by Nancy Beach. She is the Programming Director at Willow Creek and one of the keynote speakers at the Arts Conference. As you read this post, you can hear in her words why I am excited to be there. I would ask as she does "that God will supernaturally surprise us June 13-15 in ways beyond anything we can possibly imagine"!

Her Post is here...

Willow Creek Arts Conference

I'm excited...next week Tammy and I are traveling to Chicago for the Willow Creek Arts Conference. I am really looking forward to the things God has to teach and reveal as well as enjoying Chicago. Apart from flying through, I've never been. I am so blessed to be able to go with my wife!

I want to keep in touch with all of you regarding what I am seeing and hearing, so I will be blogging daily...maybe multiple times to let you know about all I've seen and heard. I'll try to keep you updated with pictures as well.

Also, be watching starting next week for a weekly blog I am going to entitle "Adventures in Literature". More to come on that, so you will have to wait.

So, sign up for the feed or check back daily starting next Wednesday for the conference updates!

National Day of Prayer

Today is the National Day of Prayer. I am not sure what that means to all of you. Everyday should be a day of prayer. But, I do believe this is an amazing time to corporately come together and pray. TRF has its doors open right now until about 1PM. I believe there are some other churches participating as well. If you are reading this just before your lunch break. It is not too late to come on down and spend some time in prayer. we have some acoustic worship going on, the lights are off, heck even the coffee bar is open so that you can have lunch here.

Take some time today wherever you are and join together with all the others praying. For revival...for unity...for our leaders...for His return!


If you'd like more info on today's events, check out this site...

National Day of Prayer

I guess we need to Praise louder!

If you read this post...you sensed my awe and wonder in God's creation. I spoke to the fact that maybe we aren't getting our job as humans done, in praising our God.

Well, I was reading through some info on a church in Scotland called the Rosslyn Chapel. For the last 27 years a group of researchers have been trying to unlock code "engraved" into the walls and columns of the church. In their research, they found that the emblems carved into the walls were in fact "musical notes". The researchers then went on to place the designs through a test using an ancient musical system called Cymatics. Cymatics is essentially, "seeing sound". Through the use of a Pitch machine called a Chladni pitch, different pitches create different patterns called Chladni patterns. They took the designs carved into the chapel and matched them up with the patterns made on the Chladni pitch and...they have music. They actually have a full piece of music which they have now placed traditional hymn lyrics to and are selling the CD. In fact there is a world premiere concert coming up to debut the music.

Here's where I am going with this. As I read through a lot of the research info, people have basically taken this find and made it a very "New Age" thing. Isn't it interesting when something amazing happens with creation, that is is quickly written off as a miracle of nature and not God! Anyway, regardless of what people make it, I am amazed by this discovery. How Great is our God! He created music and melody and He even placed an image with it. Sound has a design. That is so cool. Like I said earlier, it seems that a lot of this kind of discovery is taking place. Are we, as His people not doing our job in displaying the majesty of God, that creation has to do it for us?

I am amazed by my God! Everyday! I hope this is an encouragement to continue and move even deeper into lives that display our God's glory. I refuse to let a tree out praise me!

Check out this video of the Chladni Pitch Plates...



Now check out this video that displays the pitch plates and then shows you some of the designs in the Chapel. At the end of this video, my wife made the statement that the angel is not looking at the notes...it is looking at God as if to give praise. You'll see what I mean. Also, the music in the background is the music created by the carvings in the chapel...

I'd like to Volunteer for...

I’m tired of volunteers! Does this sound harsh? Probably, but hear me out. What is a volunteer? It is a person that takes on a task after being asked or sometimes even coerced into being a part of the job. Does this sound familiar? There have been so many times in my life that I have had someone “encourage” me to help with something that I either don’t have time for or know nothing about. I will accomplish the task with a smile, but maybe not very well. I may show up late or even leave early, due to “previous commitments”. Besides, it doesn’t seem to matter. The task at hand is not that big a deal, right? Maybe it’s helping someone move or washing cars or something else.

Do you see what I’m talking about? I now, don’t like myself for being a volunteer. This is “Brent” theology here, but I don’t think Jesus ever asked for volunteers. Can you imagine feeding the 5000? “Hey guys, ummm, I’m thinking about feeding all these people…ummm, but we only have a few loaves of bread and a couple fish. So, is there anyone that wants to start passing stuff out and we will see how far we can go? Anyone…anyone…anyone…” This sounds a bit strange, I know, but stick with me. Jesus didn’t surround himself with perfect people, but he surrounded himself with people that were willing…Servants. There is a huge difference between one who serves and one who volunteers. The task is the same, but now it is not about time, it is about quality. It is not about personal needs, it is about relationships with others. It is not about why, but when. It is about HEART!

As a leader of a ministry, I am looking for Servants…not volunteers. Who are you?

inWorship...enough said